PAIR EDOARDO MARTINO NAUTICAL WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS: Edoardo Federico Martino (1838 – 1912, Italy). Watercolor on stiff paper depicting boats of the coast of a harbor with smokestacks, both signed E. de Martino on the face, 3.5”h x 4.875”l. BIOGRAPHY: Edoardo Federico Martino (1838 – 1912, Italy) was a naval officer and marine painter working in South America (Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, from the 1860s). He was a court painter to the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro. He later settled in London and was appointed Marine Painter in Ordinary to Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Not long after his arrival in London from South America in 1876, Eduardo de Martino came into contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales with whom he formed a lasting friendship. In 1895, Queen Victoria made him Marine Painter in Ordinary (he was the last to hold that appointment). His connection with the court brought him patronage from other crowned heads and members of the royal family. PROVENANCE: From the private family collection of artist Martin B. Leisser to the private, personal collection of Erin-Marie Wallace, MA, AU, which has been sourced via a lifetime of international travel and scholarly study. In addition to being a practicing artist, Ms. Wallace is a USPAP-Compliant Appraiser, CEO of E. M. Wallace Auctions & Appraisals, Associate to Lofty.com, Instructor with the U.K. firm LearningWithExperts.com thru MyAntiqueSchool; and also Founder of Rare-Era.com and SellandBidWell.com.